Introduction

Good morning. My name is Camille Nasbe. I am the superintendent of Winton Woods City Schools in Cincinnati, a district of about 4,000 students, ¾ of whom are minorities and 1/5 of whom have special needs. I want to thank you for the opportunity to share with you our district’s thoughts on technology and data. When I told my son about being invited to speak here today, he responded like a typical 30-year-old. "But mom, what do you know about technology?" Not wanting to sound defensive, I came back with, "Not much, but what I lack in brilliance, I make up for in enthusiasm". Later, I thought about our conversation and I realized we both had our points. It’s true that there is a digital divide between my son and me, but I like to think it’s generational rather than ability-based. Someday my son will experience this divide when he has children. And it’s true that I may not have the same level of technical expertise that many of you in this room have, but I know a good thing when I see it, and technology has so much potential to change education for the better, that I enthusiastically embrace it and encourage its use in our district.

Our district subscribes to the principles in Thomas Friedman’s book, The World is Flat. We see the urgency in providing a rigorous curriculum beginning in the elementary grades and continuing through middle and high school. I want to enhance my graduates’ employment prospects by giving all students early access to 21st century skills. Economic success will belong to those who can readily access information, evaluate it, and apply it to solve problems in creative ways. Today I have chosen to highlight three areas where we have seen improvement, and even greater potential, in using technology to educate students for the world of tomorrow. These areas are alternative education programs, data tracking systems, and professional development.

Alternative Education Programs

Our district has implemented multiple alternative programs because one size does not fit all. Our largest program, Project Success, serves students who were previously unsuccessful in high school. Some are very credit-deficient, some have long histories of discipline problems, and a few have had babies, served jail time, or just dropped out. Students and their parents have to apply for admission. The program serves about 80 students and there is always a waiting list. Not all students have home computers so the program director stays from 6:30 in the morning to 6:30 at night to accommodate students who are working furiously to graduate. One young lady accrued 16 credits in a little over one year, enabling her to graduate with her class.

The curriculum is mostly technology-based. Why does the program work? Well for one thing, technology allows students to work at their own level and pace. They can work in concentrated doses in areas that interest them and pick up wherever they leave off. They never have to be embarrassed if they don’t understand something because the sequence of their work is highly individual and the teacher can always assist them privately. There are few social distractions because students are so focused on their online work. The aligned curriculum helps them to pass the Ohio Graduation Test. Most significantly, it allows them to set goals, track progress, and receive real-time congratulations when they attain their goals. They have control over their education, while in most other areas of their lives they have little or no control.

It’s expensive to implement this kind of program, but you only have to look at its graduates, many of whom attend college, to realize that this program has the power to transform lives. Since its inception four years ago, we increased our graduation rate from 78% to 87%. Because graduation rates in Ohio lag one year, I am proud to report that next year’s rate will approach 94%.

Project Success has been replicated with modifications to accommodate other at-risk populations. Probably the most surprising success has been with the special needs students. For many IEP students, the accessibility of coursework, educational accommodations, and family-like atmosphere are just what they need. Technology has the ability to provide a continuum of services. As one administrator noted recently, "The students have found a voice in this intimate, positive environment. Technology is a natural fit for them. They are often creative and can be successful in a technology–based setting such as this program, the video production class, or stage crew. In effect, technology is the 8th multiple intelligence".

Due to the plethora of technology-based alternatives in our district, our expulsion rate has dramatically decreased, from 1.5% to less than 0.1% of total students. That’s a change from over 60 students in a year to less than 4. The district now has real alternatives to simply removing kids from school.

Data Tracking Systems

Like most districts, Winton Woods collects data readily, but sometimes there is just too much data. Which data should we use? What do the data say? And what should we do with the data?

One of the accountability features of the NCLB Act is Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP. To meet AYP more effectively, our staff developed an electronic spreadsheet this year that tracks each student’s performance on short-cycle assessments. They are given about every two weeks to determine how well students are learning the state curriculum. Individual student data is entered into the spreadsheet and applied to formulae that tell whether or not the class, the school, or the district would likely meet AYP.

AYP results are analyzed by the principal and grade-level teachers on a bi-weekly basis. The principal and central office administrators conduct a follow-up meeting once a month. They discuss students, questions, and standards. The teachers then plan how they will improve instruction to students who have not mastered a particular concept or skill.

AYP data meetings have resulted in greater understanding of student needs by promoting teacher collaboration. Principals can tell you the names of students who are meeting standards and those who need specific interventions. The meetings also identify program and professional development needs. According to preliminary test data, the number of schools meeting AYP has increased from 3 to 7 this year.

Another valuable data system is the Battelle for Kids model that will be added to Ohio’s accountability system in 2008. Battelle for Kids provides a system of data that tracks individual student growth, year by year. With this data, teachers can determine the value that they have added to a child’s education, whether it was one year, more than one year, or less than one year.

To illustrate how useful value-added data can be, our curriculum director last year met with the math department to review their grade-level results. The data she presented was sobering. For the prior three years, trend data was showing seventh-grade math instruction had added no value, despite strong sixth-grade value and moderate eighth-grade value. The seventh-grade teachers did not blame the results on the students’ poor backgrounds. Instead, they realized that they had to do something different in their classrooms to improve their students’ achievement. They ordered interactive materials, including manipulatives, software, and a white board. They participated in on-line professional development. By the end of this year, the seventh grade pass rate on the math achievement test was 20 percentage points higher than in 2006. The data don’t lie!

Professional Development

Technology is especially effective in supporting systemic professional development. I recently took an online course through Miami University with a group of elementary teachers to learn more about how they were implementing a new and different math series. The course included threaded discussions about a topic or strategy, lesson plans, and a reflection paper. Teachers were able to log in and out whenever it was convenient for them. They became a support group for developing lesson plans and sharing their classroom experiences, something most teachers don’t get a chance to do.

Our technology director also encourages the use of new technologies to enhance classroom instruction. Last year, she invited teachers to apply for multi-week training sessions on white boards. She chose 12 teachers that represented all schools. At the end of the training, each teacher received a white board. Shortly after the 12 "disciples" began using them, demand for training sessions exploded. Now it’s a matter of finding funding for whiteboards and training to place one in each teacher’s classroom. The students are excited by learning in those classrooms. One of the American Sign Language classes recently presented a lesson to staff. Using the teacher’s whiteboard, they created a virtual woman who signed a nursery rhyme. Once again, members of a younger generation were demonstrating their superior facility and innovation with technology to an older generation.

Two weeks ago, two administrators and the high school world history teacher returned from an educational trip to China sponsored by the College Board. What they saw there with respect to technology surprised them. Even in the most impoverished places, people had access to technology – a satellite dish behind a shanty providing Direct TV, cell phones everywhere, computers in WiFi establishments and Internet cafes on most city streets. "Why", they asked, "can’t the richest country in the world provide that level of connectivity and access to technology for our students?"

How I wish we could provide every child with a laptop or I-pod to increase access, motivation, guidance, and achievement! Last week I visited the classroom where 17 Winton Woods students are taking Chinese for University of Dayton credit. The students are using the university’s management system to download the syllabus and assignments, submit papers, communicate with the teacher, and develop proficiency. They also have individual I-pods thanks to a Board of Regents grant, so they can practice the Chinese tones and vocabulary whenever they want. Our elementary technology teachers are gearing up to assist teachers in using I-pods and pod casts to improve student achievement, especially in Chinese and Spanish.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I have witnessed how technology can enhance education, especially for alternative education students. I have also seen how technology can allow for the easy compilation, dissemination, analysis, and use of data to improve learning through vehicles like our AYP tracking system and Ohio’s value-added model. Finally, there is a huge opportunity to train professional staff on using technology to stimulate interest, creativity, and learning.

But each of the above requires adequate funding. Data and technology without training is like passing a bond issue and then not having sufficient operating funds to keep the building open. Our teachers cannot prepare our students to compete in a global society unless they can facilitate the access, interpretation, and application of reliable information. We live in an era where the amount of technical information is doubling every two years. As Thomas Friedman writes to his daughters in The World is Flat, "Girls, when I was growing up, my parents used to say to me, "Tom, finish your dinner – people in China and India are starving’. My advice to you is: Girls, finish your homework – people in China and India are starving for your jobs". We must prepare our students technologically if we truly want to leave no child behind. Thank you.